The Washington Post ran two articles in the last week condemning women who ditch hormonal birth control due to its side effects, claiming that talking about side effects included on federally mandated drug disclosures is “misinformation.”

“Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion,” a Washington Post headline last week blared. The article was accompanied by another, penned by the same reporters and published at the same time, aimed at “Debunking common birth-control misconceptions.”

The first article laments that women are increasingly ditching hormonal birth control linked to cancer and other bodily harms for “‘natural’ alternatives” such as tracking their cycles or — gasp — abstaining from sex altogether. The Washington Post authors are particularly irked that the movement has gained traction post-Dobbs v. Jackson when “abortion is now banned or restricted in nearly half the states.”

The article brushes aside concerns of women like influencer Nicole Bendayan. She says she felt ignored by doctors who continued to advise her to use birth control even though she had a “lot of really bad symptoms.” Instead, the authors quote a male OB-GYN who recited the same old “safe and effective” speech our culture, medical establishment, and media tout about chemical contraception that can put women on synthetic hormones for up to a third of their lives.